I see it every day: People trying to create a home that somebody else tells them they should have. I don't care if it's a magazine or a bossy friend - when somebody says, 'This is what's elegant, this is what's trendy,' if it doesn't represent you, you're not going to be happy.
Interpretation
True happiness comes from creating a home that reflects your own identity, not one dictated by external influences.
In this quote, Nate Berkus highlights the importance of personal authenticity in creating a space that genuinely represents who you are, rather than conforming to the often arbitrary standards set by others. He emphasizes that when people follow trends or advice that do not resonate with their true selves, they are likely to feel unfulfilled and unhappy in their own environment.
In practice
In a talk about interior design, you could share this quote to emphasize the importance of personal style.
About 80 percent of the stuff I live with is old. I like letting things take on the character they’re meant to have by really being used. … when you own things that have the imperfections they deserve, that they’ve earned from a well-lived life, it frees you from feeling as though they’re untouchable.
I believe your home tells a story about who you are and who you aspire to be. We represent ourselves through the things we own. I don't believe in trends. I believe in collecting things that you connect with. We should surround ourselves with things we care about, that have meaning.
My life will be the best illustration of all my work.
We need to confront the life-killing stereotype that says we're all about suffering. We need to bear witness to our pleasures.
She had nothing to wish otherwise, but that the days did not pass so swiftly. It was a delightful visit;-perfect, in being much too short.
But youth has a future. The closer he came to graduation, the more his heart beat. He said to himself: “This is still not life, this is only the preparation for life.
I always knew looking back on my tears would bring me laughter, but I never knew looking back on my laughter would make me cry.
In the end these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you live? How deeply did you let go?
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